Sunday, Oct 5, 1884 It rained in the night and today has been a typical October day with a north wind and clear air. Calvert, Girard and I went down to Mrs. Schultz's to see Marions banner screen for the Cornell Hose Co. She had gone to church but we went in and saw it. I have been reading in Taylors life and letters about his early career and his connection with Mary Agnew. I seemed to forget that he is gone and had a vague sense of wishing to see him and talk it all over with him. It has taken me into the Past and my thoughts have been with dear Gertrude, my mother and those who are gone and a sad and unreal sense of the present life has been mingled with what is no more. Calvert went home by the evening train my father taking him down to the ferry. He was loth to go. This three weeks of rest he has thoroughly enjoyed and I do not remember to have seen him so reposeful and contented and cheerful for a long time. We were sorry to have him go and now my father Sara and I are alone again. The Universalist State Convention meets at Pokeepsie this week and my father would like to go for a day. I have written to Major Wilkinson to send me the order of exercises if he can and I will go down a day with my father. He does not seem to have many joys now and I would like to give him any satisfactions in my power. Sara and I sat late in the parlor with a fire in the Franklin and talked of my mother and her laudable ambitions for her home and family. At such times it seems to me that I will try to do as she did and meet the demands of each day with something of her brave spirit. I feel that I have made some new resolutions the past week in some directions and I pray I may be kept from despondency and discouragement. It does one good to come in contact with the history of the life of a man like Taylor. His force of will, his industry and his hopeful nature give me renewed strength and I here renew the friendship I enjoyed so many years with a feeling of gratitude that we were so much to each other.
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